Man in court over 'body in boot' murder

A 52-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found in the boot of a car.

Bernard Curran was charged following the discovery of the remains of Helen Donegan in June.

It is believed that the 30-year-old mother-of-one was shot dead shortly after she went missing from her rented home in Celbridge, Co Kildare, at the beginning of May.

Curran, with an address at The Village Weir, in Lucan, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court charged with murder.

The alleged incident took place on a date unknown between May 4 and June 22.

Curran was before the court for the book of evidence, but gardai said that the book is not yet ready.

Discovered

Defence solicitor Emer O'Sullivan said there was no objection to the matter being adjourned for four weeks.

Judge William Early remanded Curran on continuing bail to appear before the court in October.

The badly decomposed remains of Helen Donegan were discovered in the rear of a silver-grey Saab estate car outside a rented garage in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on June 22.

Ms Donegan, from Ballyfermot, west Dublin, and the mother of a 12-year-old son, had been missing for almost seven weeks. She was last seen at her rented home in St Patrick's Park, Celbridge, Co Kildare, on May 6.

A post-mortem exam by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy revealed that she died from a single gunshot to the chest.

Ms Donegan's disappearance was reported 11 days after she went missing.

Her remains were found during a search outside a transport yard at Kilmactalway, Aylmer Road, in Newcastle.